New York Fashion Week with Fashion Designer Charlotte Ronson

Charlotte Ronson, a member of the ubiquitous Ronson clan of rock aristocrats, and a native of the Upper East Side, is a sizzling fashion designer and friend to the stars. Here G.W. gets her to talk about her new line and what the future holds.

George Wayne: What was it that your mom put in your milk? Why was she able to raise such a brood of overachievers?

Charlotte Ronson: We didn’t just get milk, we had to earn it.

Is there such a thing as sibling rivalry between you and your other notable siblings?

Yes, when it comes to trying to get a word in at the dinner table. Other than that, we are all lucky enough to have found something we love to do and it’s definitely not a competition. If anything we really try our best to support and complement each other. We collaborate whenever we can. Samantha is D.J.'ing my runway show. She produces mix CDs for me each season. Mark has performed at my events. My li'l sister, Annabelle, even walks in my shows.What drove your desire to be a force in fashion?

I believe it was growing up with such a stylish mother. If I was well behaved she would let me help pick out her outfit for that night. She showed me how important it was to have your own sense of style. Especially being a twin, it’s so important to have your own identity, since we were born in matching outfits.

Talk about the ethos of Charlotte Ronson for spring-summer 2011.

Inspired by the vibrant romance of Spain paired with the minimalist androgyny of 90s grunge. Spain is one of the most colorful locations in the world. It has such beautiful architecture filled with such lively people. I was also really inspired by 90s grunge fashion, Kate Moss when she was first discovered. Her next-to-nothing slip dresses, slouchy layering.

You parted ways with your Japanese backers, Sanei International, at the end of 2009, and brought your operations in house—so to speak. Has this been a smooth or nerve-wracking transition?

Fairly smooth. I have a great team in place that has made the transition almost seamless. We now have a distributor in Japan, the Wall, and we are focused on building our business in China and the U.S. We are opening two stores in Shanghai at the end of this month and another store in Hong Kong by October or November of this year. I have never been to China, but I am super excited to go at the end of the month.

The future perfect plan for the fashion house of Charlotte Ronson would include what?

Continuing to expand my contemporary Charlotte Ronson and my JCPenney business, I Heart Ronson. I look forward to growing my shoe business and expanding into other categories. I would love to have a children’s line. Everything looks precious in mini sizes!

You never attended fashion school. Have you ever considered that detrimental to your career?

In hindsight, I believe that ignorance is bliss in this business. In some ways, if I knew all that went into designing and running one’s own fashion label, I might have become a D.J.—not that I have the skills to be one.

What's next with your ongoing collaboration with JCPenney?

I will continue to put out new designs for the I Heart Ronson line every month to keep my customers' wardrobe current. It has been amazing how girls across the country have really responded to the collection and look forward to what’s next.